Recent Posts
- NEVER Use a Comma in These Situations
Commas have many, MANY uses, from separating elements in a series to setting off introductory phrases to separating a speaker from their quotation to surrounding nonrestrictive clauses and so much more. But there are definitely some times when you should Read more… - 5 Punctuation Marks That Can REPLACE Letters or Words
Punctuation marks don’t just exist to end sentences. They have a whole range of jobs, like introducing quotations, marking transitions mid-sentence, and connecting compound words. Another one of their many jobs is to REPLACE missing letters or words, and this Read more… - The 2 Most CONTROVERSIAL Punctuation Practices
You know, I really wish there were just one hard-and-fast set of grammar rules that everyone agreed on and followed all the time. That’d make things much easier for writers, editors, students, and anyone learning English as a second language. Read more… - 20 English Words You Might Be Mispronouncing
I’m a textbook introvert who reads a lot and doesn’t like to talk very much. Consequently, I have frequently learned a new word, pronounced it a certain way in my head, and then later learned (sometimes in embarrassing ways) that Read more… - 9 Popular Phrases You Might Be Saying WRONG
Hold on to your hat because this post just might blow your mind. Even if you’re a native English speaker, you might be getting these nine common phrases WRONG. Each of these phrases has an unfortunate buddy that SOUNDS like Read more… - Spaghetto Is a Single Spaghetti (And 13 Other Uncommon Singular Words)
Spaghetto, paparazzo, and confetto may sound unnatural and strange to our ears, but they’re real singular words! The same goes for die, magum, and a bunch of other uncommon singular forms of plural words that we use all the time. Read more… - Shakespeare Did NOT Invent “Puke”: The Semi-Scandalous Truth Behind English’s Greatest Word Inventor
Folks who are passionate about English and grammar love to talk about William Shakespeare. He’s called “The Bard”—not “a bard,” “THE Bard”—because he’s widely considered to be the greatest English poet (and one of the greatest storytellers) who ever lived. Read more… - 38 Taylor Swift Lyrics That Will Have You Reaching for a Dictionary
Hey kids, spelling is fun! Songwriters are poets, and Taylor Swift is arguably one of the best. No one can tell me that “You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath” isn’t some of the Read more… - Do Acronyms Need Periods?
Is it FBI or F.B.I.? PhD or Ph.D.? And once we solve the question about periods or no periods, we still have spaces and capitalization to contend with. Let’s talk acronyms! What Is an Acronym? An acronym is a word Read more… - Words Like “FBI” Are Actually NOT Acronyms
Don’t panic! It’s true that words such as “FBI” and “TBA” are actually NOT acronyms at all, so you might be thinking that everything you’ve ever known is a lie (at least I did when I started learning about this). Read more… - 17 Words You Never Knew Were Acronyms
Did you know that “snafu” is an acronym? What about “care package”? I bet there are at least a few words on this list that you never knew were acronyms! Quick Disclaimer: Acronyms vs. Initialisms Acronyms are words that are Read more… - Of Course You Can Start a Sentence With “And” or “But”
I’m back to disprove yet another grammar myth. We’ve talked about avoiding contractions, putting two spaces after a period, ending a sentence with a preposition, and splitting infinitives. Now it’s time to tackle yet another “rule” that is actually complete Read more… - No, You DON’T Have To Avoid Contractions
Has a teacher ever told you that you should never use contractions in formal or professional writing? Maybe you got an essay back with all the don’ts and I’ms scribbled out and replaced with do nots and I ams. I’ve Read more… - No, You Don’t Need Two Spaces After a Period
One of the quickest ways to date yourself as a writer is to add two spaces instead of just one in between each sentence. Listen, I KNOW your English teacher told you that you have to do it. But it’s Read more… - 4 Words That Should NOT Be Abbreviated
NASA will install a new laser that travels at 671,000,000 mph; the ETA of their new toy is Jan. 5th, 2025. As far as I know, nothing about that sentence is true (NASA, unfortunately, does not discuss their new gadgets Read more… - 25 Words That Were Given a Nickname and Never Grew Out of It
My husband’s name is Braden. That’s what it says on his birth certificate, but everyone calls him Brady and has done so basically since he was born. One time, he asked his mom why they didn’t just name him Brady Read more… - Most People Don’t Know What These 11 Abbreviations Stand For
Abbreviations are all over the place. We use them in text messages, emails, work meetings, and even normal, everyday conversations! They make our lives just a little bit easier and help us avoid unnecessary repetition. But sometimes we use abbreviations Read more… - Are “Like” and “As” Interchangeable? It’s Complicated.
Which is correct: “It happened like I said it would” or “It happened as I said it would”? What about these: “It tasted like garbage” or “It tasted as garbage”? If you picked the sentence with like in it both Read more… - “Then” and “Than” Are DIFFERENT Words: Here’s How To Use Each One
Then and than are just one letter away from being the exact same word, but that one tiny letter makes a world of difference! Despite the words’ similarity in spelling, they have completely different definitions and are absolutely NOT interchangeable. Read more… - “You and I” or “You and Me”? How To Use Nominative and Objective Pronouns
If you went to the grocery store with your roommate, would you say “He and I went” or “He and me went”? And if your friend graciously offered to drive you both, would you say “They drove him and I” Read more…